Pam Bondi criticizes 'surrender' on Medicaid expansion

A chorus of opposition is starting to take hold in the Florida Cabinet to Gov.
Rick Scott’s stunning support for expanding Medicaid, with Attorney General Pam
Bondi saying she objects to the idea.

“I am opposed to this dramatic
expansion of Medicaid, because of the ultimate cost to Florida's taxpayers and
because I don't think our state should surrender even more control over health
care to the federal government,” Bondi said in an email Tuesday.

Bondi,
who helped lead a legal challenge to the constitutionality of the federal
Affordable Care Act, has joined Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam in forming
a potentially persuasive bloc as the Medicaid expansion issue moves before
lawmakers.

Scott drew national headlines last week when he announced
support for expanding Medicaid eligibility under the Affordable Care Act. The
governor, who has been a longtime critic of the federal law better known as
Obamacare, said he would support the expansion for three years and then require
that it be revisited.

Bondi backed Putnam’s contention that once Medicaid
is expanded to include residents up to 138 percent of the federal poverty line,
the state would be unable to back away from that position after three years.
Opponents worry that could eventually create a massive fiscal burden to
Florida.

Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater, who is the other member of
the Cabinet, was unavailable to comment on Tuesday.

Under Obamacare, the
federal government says it would fully pay the expansion costs during the first
three years. The state in later years would pick up part of the tab, eventually
paying 10 percent of the costs.

Estimates of the state's costs have
varied. But the Urban Institute and the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation have
estimated that adding 1.3 million people to the Medicaid program could cost
Florida $5.4 billion over the next decade, while the state would gain $66.1
billion in federal health care payments over the same time.

State
economists serving on the Social Services Estimating Conference are expected to
update cost projections on Friday.

Appearing on Fox News on Sunday, Bondi
expressed hope that House Speaker Will Weatherford, R-Wesley Chapel, and Senate
President Don Gaetz, R-Niceville, would be able to influence their chambers to
block the governor’s proposal.

Only one side of the Legislature is needed
to kill the proposal.

The House and Senate have select committees on the
Affordable Care Act that are set to hold meetings March 4, the day before the
start of the regular legislative session.

The House committee is also
scheduled to convene Thursday to discuss the impact of the law on the
state-employee health insurance plan and on insurance regulations.

Gaetz
has deferred direction on the Medicaid expansion to his select committee, while
Weatherford has repeatedly expressed "skepticism" about Scott's
proposal.

Putnam wasted no time last week announcing his displeasure with
Scott.

"I've seen how issues like this explode in cost once they become
an accepted part of policy,” Putnam said. “And it's just simply not realistic to
think you would enroll over 1 million new people into a program that you would
then end in three years.”

The state party has pushed back against the blast, with Chairman
Lenny Curry issuing a statement Monday that Putnam’s comments was not put out by
the GOP.

"Although the email carried an RPOF disclaimer, neither the
staff nor leadership of RPOF drafted, edited, or sent the email, nor was any
RPOF mail list used," Curry stated. "RPOF's only role was in paying for upkeep
and maintenance of the Internet server on behalf of Commissioner Putnam,
which is standard for all statewide elected officials that are not currently
candidates for office."